Programme details
The MSc degree in Osteoarchaeology will equip you with the knowledge and hands-on experience to identify and interpret human and animal bones, providing a sound basis for both professional development and further research.
Most programme participants will already have a good understanding of archaeological method and theory, enabling the proper interpretation of osteological remains from archaeological sites. The taught course will integrate practical skills with theoretical understanding, putting specialist analyses in context.
Participants in the programme are expected to acquire knowledge of the following:
- the theoretical bases of human and animal osteoarchaeology
- the physical properties and function of the human and animal skeleton
- hands-on bone identification
- the reconstruction of individual traits (age, sex, size, etc)
- analytical methods
- scientific and culture-historical interpretations of human osseous materials.
Bronze Age trepanned skull from Livizile, Romania
The taught course will integrate practical skills with theoretical understanding, putting specialist analyses in context.
The degree offers participants of this targeted programme the ability to:
- identify and interpret bone remains from archaeological sites
- develop hypothesis testing skills
- carry out relevant scientific analyses, often in cooperation with experts in other disciplines
- engage in theoretical and methodological discussions relevant to osteoarchaeology
- design research strategies based on transferable skills providing a basis for advanced studies (PhD and beyond).
Structure
The programme can either be taken over one year (full-time), or over two years (part-time). Students will be required to complete six courses over the two teaching semesters (September-March) of 20 credits each (normally 20 hours contact time). Individual courses will be delivered by means of lectures, seminars and hands-on practical work with archaeological assemblages and reference collections. Candidates are assessed on each course through coursework, which comprises essays (4000 words), reports, and both oral and written practical examinations. The assessments are designed to test satisfactory completion and understanding of the work covered in the various courses.
Successful completion of the taught component of the programme qualifies candidates to receive the Postgraduate Diploma. Those who attain a satisfactory standard in their assessed work (with an average minimum of 50%) may proceed to an MSc, undertaking a supervised project on an approved topic and submitting a dissertation (60 credits) of approximately 15,000 words by the end of the programme year (normally early September). Award of the degree is usually approved in time for January graduation.
Core courses
| (All courses are worth 20 credits) |
|---|
| Bone Identification Anatomy and Taphonomy |
| Analytical Methods in Osteoarcheology |
| Bone Manufacturing - Animal Raw Materials |
| Palaeopathology - Animal and Human Disease |
| Human-animal Interactions |
| Research Sources and Strategies in Archaeology |
Possible dissertation topics
Dissertation topics can be either on animal or human remains. The following represent a sample of Osteoarchaeology MSc dissertation titles submitted over the past four years:
- Establishing kinship groups in a medieval cemetery
- An examination of fracture patterns and their viability as evidence for violence in skeletal populations
- The hefty rise and fall: An investigation of medieval Scottish cattle size
- A study of worked osseous material from two Middle Bronze Age Hungarian sites
Transferable skills
In addition to specialist osteological skills students on the Osteoarchaeology programme will also gain numerous transferable skills including:
- data manipulation
- IT skills
- application of theory to practice through practical sessions
- oral and visual presentation skills
- participation in debate at seminars and tutorials
- field experience
- seminars in 3D modelling and statistical software.
This article was published on Feb 25, 2011